Class Notes Summer 2010

Environmental Health

Christine White Goldberg (’93) writes: “I am a practicing attorney, specializing in healthcare and antitrust law. In 1999, I married BU Law ’93 classmate Dan Goldberg. We have two children, Hannah (8) and Emma (3). We live in Port Washington, NY.”

Epidemiology / Biostatistics

Mariam Hakim-Zargar (’97)

Mariam Hakim-Zargar (’97) has opened a practice, New England Orthopedic Center, LLC, in Torrington, Connecticut. Dr. Hakim is an experienced orthopedic surgeon who treats all musculoskeletal problems and is one of only nine orthopedic surgeons in Connecticut to specialize in the treatment of foot and ankle disorders.

In a story by The Register Citizen, she was quoted as saying, “It’s a true privilege and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to stay in Torrington and continue to care for my patients and this community.”

Ali Noorani (’99) is a leading advocate for immigration reform and is the executive director of the National Immigration Forum in Washington, DC. He was a guest on PBS News Hour on March 22, 2010. He was interviewed by Ray Suarez on immigration reform and emphasized that the issue is not about immigrants — it’s about America, and what kind of country it wants to be. He met with President Obama recently, and was the second speaker at the immigration reform rally in Washington, DC, in March.

Christin Dematto (’07) is currently working for a small biotech company in Connecticut that is working to get a FluBlok vaccine licensed by the FDA this year. The influenza vaccine is insect-cell based, as opposed to egg-based, so it is more hypoallergenic and can be generated more quickly. She is also getting married this summer to Stephen John Gondar of Coventry, Conn.

Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights

Sarah Linville Kollmer (’99) has been working in the healthcare industry since leaving Boston in 2003. She is currently the director of reimbursement for a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers which serves the rural communities of the Southern Adirondacks. Prior to this position, she was a network manager for Aetna, where she negotiated contracts with hospitals, health systems and large physician groups. She lives in Burnt Hills, NY, with her husband, Jim, whom she married in October 2008.

Joshua Boxer (’01) became the proud father of Julius Benjamin Boxer on Nov. 16, 2009. He writes: “The kid will not stop eating and has become a fat little guy. So much fun. Yes, Julius is wearing my law school team apparel, but once a Hurricane, always a Hurricane.”

Health Policy & Management

Sharyn Perpall (’95) has been the director of Midwifery in South Florida since 1997 and writes: “I miss Boston every day. I utilize my education daily, as I am in a practice which serves the less fortunate than I am.”

Barbara Lamagna (’97) continues to teach at Bristol Community College, bringing public health perspectives to Health Science courses. She thanks the great professors at BUSPH for their inspiration in teaching.

Jared Kutzin (’07) writes: “I recently graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. I am the Associate Director of Clinical Simulation at the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, Institute for Medical Simulation and Advanced Learning, the first multidisciplinary simulation facility in New York City.”

Kelly O’Keefe (’10) reports: “Right before graduation, I accepted a full-time position at Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Project Manager of the Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics.”

Chris Wilterdink (’10)

Chris Wilterdink (’10) has been working as a Business Development Planner at Winchester Hospital, north of Boston, since he graduated in January.

International Health

Heather Robinson (’02) writes: “At Peace Corps Botswana, I direct our program and training arms, where we design and implement programs with over 110 volunteers working to address HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment issues. A fellow BUSPH alumni just completed her two years of service here, and one other is finishing up year one of service.”

Krishnamurti Rao (’08) is currently at Saba University School of Medicine, completing his MD degree. He started in the fall of 2009.

Katherine Horan (’08) will be presenting a poster, “The Feasibility of Implementation and Systematic Evaluation of a Structured Global Health Curriculum,” in Cuernavaca, Mexico, at the annual Global Health Education Consortium conference. She was awarded a travel grant to present her research. She is currently a second-year student at the collaborative Ben-Gurion University-Columbia University Medical School for International Health.

Maternal & Child Health

Beth (Dervin) English (’99) of Natick, MA, is the deputy program manager of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Immunization Program. One of the projects she is working on is the development of a web-based, statewide Immunization Registry. She is also getting married in July 2010. She invites fellow alums to re-connect with her at beth.english@state.ma.us.

Erica Streit-Kaplan (’01) continues her work in injury and violence prevention at the Children’s Safety Network, a project of the Education Development Center in Newton, MA. She is married to James (BU Law ’00), and the couple has two daughters, Anna and Eleanor. In her spare time, she is involved in women’s health and environmental health advocacy, and says she tries to make time for exercise, relaxation, family and friends.

Laura Anatale Tardiff (’09) writes: “I got married in September 2009. I am now working as Project Manager of the Growing Up Today Study — a longitudinal study of over 26,000 adolescents/young adults who are the children of Nurses’ Health Study participants.”

Social & Behavioral Health Sciences

Brent Pimentel (’05) writes from Ft. Worth, Texas, that he is “really enjoying my work, but also missing Mass. more and more. Thinking I might want to get involved in the same line of work there and have the best of both worlds. Right now, I am monitoring and assisting programs receiving Ryan White funding for HIV/STD testing, counseling and services. I also serve as the (TX) state liaison for the Ryan White Planning Council of Greater Dallas and help determine policy and planning for the Council.”

Public Health

Marjorie Reiter (’84) writes: “Greetings from hot (and dry) Arizona! I am now the Manager for Ambulatory Specialty Services at Maricopa Integrated Health System (formerly the County health system) and Program Director for Telemedicine. I am also the Regent for Arizona of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and finally, working on my PhD in Public Service Leadership with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. My daughter is beginning junior high in July, so life will become much more interesting, I expect.”